Gutter Allemande
by Velvien
Summary: A common enemy emerges.
1. Angel Of Death

**A/N: I sure write this pairing a lot. Takes placing during CP, rated T for the usual reasons.  
**

* * *

A mighty haymaker from his adversary caught Ragna in the chest, lifted him off the ground and sent him hurtling through the wall of the building they fought in. As the building collapsed, Ragna bounced down the street through the startled crowd. He wobbled to his knees, spitting blood from his mouth as he watched the building fall in a cloud of dust. Surely, that was the end of his blue-haired assailant. Surely, no matter how inhumanly strong this angel of death was, he couldn't survive a couple tons of brick collapsing on him…

Something flickered in front of the ruins, appearing without warning from thin air. Something tall, muscular, sporting a grin of pure bloodlust, and wrapped in a blood red aura. Ragna had no time to rise to his feet before the man lunged forward with a kick, his planted foot just sliding along the ground. The boot struck Ragna in the gut and lifted him off the ground, allowing for another kick of the same style. Two more followed, the last of which sent Ragna barreling through a trio of panicked onlookers. The man appeared over him and reached down to grab him by the collar. "Heh. This is the Grim Reaper? How boring."

"Tch…shut the hell up." Ragna brought his knee up against the man's chin and was rewarded by being tossed into the nearest building. The building shook and cracked from the impact. For his part, a bolt of pain raced through Ragna's left shoulder. Goddammit, it felt dislocated. Head hung, panting, he managed to rumble out a, "What the hell's the matter with you?"

"What do you mean? This is just entertainment, right?" The man scythed through the pavement with his fingers and he lifted a block of concrete to hurl at Ragna. "Come on! Satisfy my thirst, Grim Reaper!"

"Go to hell!" Ragna shattered the cement with a swing of Blood-Scythe and rose to his feet. Shit, he was going to have to use his grimoire at this rate. No helping it, then… "Restriction 666 released, dimensional interference field deployed! Engaging Idea Engine! BlazBlue, activate!"

As a coating of darkness surrounded Ragna, symmetric to his adversary's red aura, a fist drove itself into his gut before he could protect himself. Ragna doubled over and a knee to the chin lifted him off the ground and a mammoth swing of the man's fist crushed him against the wall. In a burst of debris, Ragna found himself blasted down a hall and rolling head over heels until he collided with a bookshelf. Panting, he sat up and glanced to his left. A girl, red-haired and clad in a black, caped uniform, stared down at him. So, somewhat dazed and not fully cognizant, he offered her a wave, well aware of how utterly out of place the gesture was. "Hey."

"…What?" With a shake of her head to clear the oddity, Tsubaki drew her sword and glared down at him. The book she had just been reading lay forgotten at her feet. "Ragna the Bloodedge. In the name of the Imperator, I shall-"

The man burst through the hole in the wall and jumped to deliver an overhead kick to Ragna. Ragna raised his sword to bounce whoever the _hell_ this nutcase was back and avoid being kicked through the floor. Hurtling through broken pieces of buildings kinda hurt. "Okay, seriously, who the goddamn hell are you and why are you attacking me? My stupid bounty?"

"Name's Azrael." He flickered out of existence and reemerged several feet closer to Ragna. Close enough to grab his prey by the neck and lift him up, even as the darkness flowing around Ragna drained him. He glanced over at Tsubaki's crimson sword and book-like shield, and smirked. "Just looking for a good fight."

With a roar, Azrael pivoted to hurl Ragna straight into Tsubaki and drew back for a punch. The aura around him grew to a bright orange as the two tried to untangle themselves from each other. Ragna and Tsubaki had only enough time to take in the neon blaze before he swept forward, a lunging punch that brought him through the entire hallway and sent both of his targets through the wall to skitter down the street. "Maybe adding the girl will give me a better fight. Unless she's as weak as all of the other Library soldiers."

"Ungh…" It took several moments for Tsubaki to register what had just happened. Okay, so Ragna was not the threat to peace here. That alone was hard enough to swallow. Almost as much as Azrael's inhuman strength. Snarling, she jumped to her feet, just in time for Azrael to punch the wall and send it flying after them in pieces. Before she could dodge the armada of concrete, something tackled her from the side to thrust her out of the way.

From where he lay covering Tsubaki, Ragna raised his sword to block the shrapnel from the wall. Chunks still pelted their lower bodies, however. He turned to the girl beneath him. "Get the hell outta here. And take anybody else nearby with you."

As Ragna lifted himself off of her to meet Azrael's charging punch with his sword, Tsubaki shook her head and rose to her knees. Ragna the Bloodedge, showing concern for her and everyone else nearby? Just what was he up to? She glanced around her. Although most passersby had fled, presumably when the library wall had spontaneously shattered, a good group had formed a half-circle around the combatants to watch in awe. And were probably oblivious to Azrael's total lack of regard for collateral damage. She turned to them and summoned up all the authority her voice could muster. "Citizens, this is an arrest of a dangerous criminal! As an officer of the Novus Orbis Librarium, I have the right to arrest you for interference in my duty if you do not vacate the premises!"

Where the threat of getting caught up in the fight failed, the prospect of arrest succeeded. The remaining citizens fled without a second thought, allowing Tsubaki to turn back to the battle without their safety on her mind. Ragna skidded by her again on his face and groaned as he came to a rest. Well. The fact that the Grim Reaper had been absolutely destroyed by this man certainly boded well. Calling upon her book to draw in light, Tsubaki turned the harshest glare she could on him. "As a Major of the Wings of Justice, I find you guilty of public endangerment, among other crimes. You are condemned to death in the name of the Imperator. Prepare yourself."

"Ha! Aren't you bold?" Azrael guffawed, a bark that sent a chill through Tsubaki. "Another arrogant Library idiot to crush…take that stick out of your ass and just enjoy the moment!"

"I refuse to take pleasure in something so senseless. Have you any idea how many lives you have threatened? Or do you simply not care?"

"Hmm…how to say this…" Azrael rubbed his chin before smirking. "Ah, I know. Do you feel any guilt when you crush an anthill beneath your heel?"

Tsubaki's breath caught. "…So that's how you see other people."

"No. Just the weak ones. You know…" His smirk widened. "Like peasants. And Library soldiers. Both sheep in their own ways, and barely even worth the effort."

"You…" With a cry, Tsubaki shot forward, led by her shield's purple light. "I will cast judgment upon you in retribution for your reprehensible actions, you _psychopath_."

"Feh." Azrael caught the charge against his palm and delivered a hook into Tsubaki's cheek. The punch sent her off to the side, rolling for several feet. "Weak. Come on! Entertain me! Or are you just as pathetic as every other NOL officer I've seen? Makes me wonder why Sector Seven even released me; can they really not deal with this?"

…Sector Seven? Shaking off the thought, Tsubaki returned to her feet and drew in more light. No, where he came from or who he worked for didn't matter. Not at the moment; he was a threat, and that's all that mattered. "I'm not finished. Take this!"

She conjured forth light from Izayoi, a set of eight yellow blades hovering in midair. No sense in trying to match Azrael's strength, an impossible task. The blades took aim and launched as one to impale the man. With a low laugh, Azrael raised his arms and expanded his aura. The red cloud swallowed each sword in turn, a black hole to light. The aura cooled back down, and Azrael fired off a bullet of it. The projectile, faster than Tsubaki could respond to, caught her in the chest and blasted her into a nearby wall.

"Goddammit…" Ragna swore under his breath as he struggled back to his feet. Was there _any_ way to fight this bastard? Wincing through the pain stabbing in his shoulder, he roared and charged. As expected, Azrael fired off another bolt of red and black malevolence, which splashed harmlessly off Blood-Scythe. Ragna hurled himself through the air, sword shifting into a scythe that dealt a spinning blow to Azrael. It reaped the man's very soul and restored it to Ragna, healing him somewhat.

Ragna dealt a straight kick to his gut; it was like hitting rock. His sword followed, cutting a wide swath through the air. As Azrael buckled and gasped, Ragna dashed forward with a shadow-coated punch. Finally, he brought his other hand up, and with it came a bestial head composed of the darkness dancing around him. The attack lifted Azrael up and several yards away. Panting, Ragna turned to locate Tsubaki. "Hey, you idiot! Get outta here already!"

"No. Not until this villain is defeated." Tsubaki charged with another shield bash, this time wrapped in brilliant, blinding light. Azrael raised a palm to block again, but the impact drove him back several feet and jarred him enough for Tsubaki to continue attacking. Her book-shield spat out an angel's wing, blood-red with corruption, and her sword followed into his gut. Or against his gut, it would turn out. Whether it was due to protective enchantments or just because he was _that _well-toned, Tsubaki couldn't tell. His fist reciprocated the blow, catching her stomach and tossing her back behind Ragna. Azrael followed with a blast of his aura.

"Shit!" Ragna slashed at the ball, just in time to disperse it and thus spare Tsubaki. He turned to her. "You alright?"

"…Thanks for the concern, but I'll live." As she pulled herself up, Tsubaki shook her head. She couldn't possibly be so weak as to not affect this monstrosity…right? She cast a sidelong look at Ragna. No, there was no way she could beat Azrael alone. She loathed admitting it, but joining with the Grim Reaper, the scourge of the Librarium, seemed her only option. "Do you have any ideas on how to…"

"Tch. You two are boring." Grinning in spite of his words, Azrael crouched down. "So why don't I just finish this?"

His fist jetted forward, into the concrete. His other hand dug into the mess of cracks created and he pulled up. A massive chunk of the street, easily twenty yards long and quite deep, rose with his hands. He gave a shove and several tons of asphalt and cement come crashing down at Ragna and Tsubaki.

"Fucking—!" In absolute desperation, Ragna stepped forward, his dark pall coalescing around his sword and his hand twisting into a gargantuan, hadean claw. Blood-Scythe cut through the air and against the falling wall. Even this, possibly the heftiest blow he had ever delivered, failed to stop the street entirely. He sagged under its weight as light bits debris dribbled down from above. Fighting the best he could against the absurd weight on the verge of rendering him a red smear on the ground, he grunted out. "Help…goddammit…"

"Aequum!" Tsubaki crashed into the monolith a moment after shouting, striking with her light-laden shield. Her sword shifted into a claymore, every bit of oversized as Blood-Scythe, and she followed with a heavy cut that expelled the rest of her gathered light The fissures created by Ragna's attack widened and the slab shattered, weighing them down under its debris but far less so than if the whole thing had fallen on them. Panting, wincing, Tsubaki dragged herself free of the rubble and turned to the side. "Ragna…are you alright…?"

"Alive," came the deadpan answer. But only just, Ragna figured. A fair number of rocks had decided to thump his head, now bruised and bloody. And, if he had to guess by it feeling as though swamped in molasses, concussed. Wobbling up to his feet for a moment before falling back on his rear, Ragna clutched his head. "Shit…"

"Hmm? Not bad. Looks like you're done, though." Snickering to himself, Azrael started forward. "Oh well, at least I got a little entertainment from you. But…well, you disappoint me, Bloodedge. Too bad…"

"Stay back." Tsubaki rose to her feet, even though her entire body ached. A couple more blows, and she would be done. Her mind stormed to plan, to calculate a way to defeat this man. It came up empty. She pointed her sword at Azrael, a ball of light at its tip. "I won't let you harm him."

"Oh? A Library insect, protecting her enemy?" Azrael laughed. "You're desperate. Hopeless. Unfortunately, it's over. You're hardly worth consuming, but…"

Tsubaki closed her eyes and whipped her head around to look anywhere but straight forward. The ball of light erupted into a flash, a radiant blaze that blinded all in the vicinity who gazed upon it. As Azrael howled and collapsed to his knees, hand over his agonized eyes, Tsubaki grasped Ragna by the wrist and pulled him up. The criminal pulled away, rubbing his face. "What the hell? What's going-?"

"Just trust me. We're getting out of here." Tsubaki pulled on him, trying to spur him into following her through the rubble. "Come on, there's not much time!"

As his prey stumbled their way towards safety, Azrael rose to his feet and punched the ground. The entire city block cracked from the force, not that it did him any real good. "You bitch! Get back here! I will never let you escape!"

* * *

Unable to run any longer, Tsubaki yanked Ragna into an alley and slumped against a wall. "Sorry about that, but I couldn't risk him knowing what I was doing."

"It's fine. Just…gah. Ow…" Faint vision returning to him, Ragna took to the opposite wall. His very mind was blurry and all he wanted was to rest. Dizzy, he shook his head. "…Thanks."

"Mm." Tsubaki leaned forward. She, for all intents and purposes, was still in decent shape. Ragna, however… "We need to get somewhere safe as soon as possible. After a short rest, we're going. Is that fine?"

"I…guess…" Mental faculties: less than 100%. "Surprised you're giving up on capturing him, though…"

"I'm not. I just know a losing situation when I see one." Well, sometimes… "Can you walk?"

"Probably…dizzy as hell, though."

"…Open your eyes." Tsubaki leaned forward as he did so. Two unfocused, mismatched eyes greeted her and her scowl deepened. "You're probably concussed. Just rest for right now."

"Right…" Allowing his eyes to close again, Ragna sank back against the wall. Not far away, voices sounded, but he deemed them unimportant. "So, what's your plan here?"

"I'm heading back to a hotel here to recuperate and try to figure out how to deal with Azrael." Her eyes flashed. "You're coming with me, by the way. You need treatment, and I need your help in dealing with him."

"Tch. The hell with that. Ain't fighting that asshole again if I can help it."

Tsubaki's glare intensified, not that Ragna could see it. "Your other option is having your judgment doled out personally by me right here. I would much rather not do that, not after you tried to keep civilians out of the fight." A pause, a blink, a look of confusion. "…Why _did_ you do that? Considering your track record, I don't see you as the kind to really care about anyone getting in your way."

"Yeah, well, my track record's filled with propaganda out the ass." Ragna sighed and looked down. "…Don't like people getting killed when they shouldn't be involved. And that fucker was doing everything he could to involve 'em. Throwing them at me and shit like that."

"I see." Tsubaki stood up and offered her hand. "We really should get going. Once we're at my place, I'll do my best to treat you. Come on, let's…"

Something skidded by the alley. A man, clothed in blue and unconscious. Paling, Tsubaki peeked out from between the buildings. Even from a long distance, her eyes met the crimson stare of Death himself, occupied by the remnants of an NOL force. A smile curved an Azrael's face and he thundered forward.

With a shriek, Tsubaki withdrew into the alley and yanked Ragna to his feet. "He's found us! Let's move!"


	2. The Hunt

"Gah! Shit…" Dizzied by suddenly being pulled to his feet, Ragna just followed Tsubaki's path even as his head swam. The alley mercifully proved uncluttered and ended in a fork. "How the hell did he find us?"

"I don't know, but he did, and that's all that matters." Tsubaki snarled as she came to the fork and, with minimal hesitation, bolted left. "I'm going to try and lose him in the alleys here; he's not too fast. But you're going to need to rest as soon as possible."

No shit. Still, as great as Tsubaki's theory that they could outrun him was, it neglected the simple fact that Ragna was pure deadweight at the moment, slowing her down. Outrunning Azrael would probably prove impossible. "And…if he catches us again?"

"…I believe I could use two more flashes and still…be safe. However, since he'd be wary of it now, I would rather not rely on it."

"Safe? Wait…" Ragna eyed her sword and shield. Or, to be more specific, the blue eyes that adorned each. He snarled. "Goddammit…that's Izayoi, isn't it?"

"Yes. And since you seem familiar with my weapon, I assume you know its toll." Tsubaki increased her pace, hoping that Ragna could keep up. "Do you have anything that could help evade him?"

"Gah…not really…" Having to move this fast through agony and a concussion? Sucked. Ragna dragged a hand along a wall to aid his waning balance. "…Maybe shadow walking? Slipping inside shadows to…"

He trailed off as a crash sounded behind them. A woman's scream followed a moment later, emanating from the building they walked past. A chill ran down Tsubaki's spine; only one thing that could have been. She gave Ragna's wrist a sharp tug and broke into a run. "Move!"

Ragna grunted, but did his best to match her speed. Some twenty feet behind them, a wall burst into rubble and Azrael stepped into the alley. Tsubaki offered him little more than a single glance back as she dragged Ragna around a corner. She crashed straight into a metal canister waiting around the bend and stumbled over it as it rolled. By some stroke of luck, she managed to keep her balance by skidding along a wall, although her momentum faltered. After kicking the trash can out of their way, Ragna took the lead, forcing Tsubaki to keep moving.

Azrael came around the corner, grinning like the lunatic he'd long proved himself to be. A pair of flash-steps took him to the dented can. He kicked it into his hands and crumpled it into a ball with minimal effort. Roaring, he hurled it after them. With a grunt, Tsubaki set her hovering shield into action. It floated behind her and caught the can, although the force of the throw nearly sent it back into its owner. They slipped around another corner, an absolute mess of an alleyway littered with garbage. Ragna slowed down and snarled. Just what he needed, shit to further unbalance him. "Yeah…don't think this is gonna…"

The boom of a shattering wall echoed in the narrow paths. As soon as it sounded, Tsubaki ground to a halt and yanked on Ragna's wrist. As he turned to ask what the hell she was thinking, she raised a finger to her lips, begging for his silence. He obeyed and allowed her to pull him back the other way. Comprehension dawned and he smirked as they went around the corner they had just turned. Tsubaki broke into a jog, leading him away from where Azrael would certainly figure they'd be. Once a second crash sounded, she allowed herself a chuckle. "Alright, we should be clear of him for the time being. Let's find a place to rest."

* * *

Panting, Ragna collapsed into a nook, resting his back against the wall. "Shit…that bastard…"

"Relax. We should be clear for the time being." Tsubaki knelt before him and placed her hand on his forehead. "Hold still a moment. I'll try to treat your wounds here."

With a shake of his head, Ragna pulled back from her touch. "Nah, not yet. You gotta rest, too…"

"…If you insist." Sighing, Tsubaki leaned back against the wall opposite of Ragna. "At the very least, though, we should plan."

"What is there to plan? The best way to run from him?" Ragna snorted, letting his eyes drift closed. He snarled and punched the ground. "God dammit…really wish Kokonoe'd given me a radio or something…could really use Tager's help right now…"

"Tager? The Red Devil?" Tsubaki shook her head, scowling. "I doubt anyone from Sector Seven would help us against Azrael. After all, isn't he one of their agents?"

"Yeah, but I know both Tager and his boss…person. Kokonoe. Don't see either of them letting Azrael do this kinda shit. They're not exactly big on this whole chaotic mayhem thing." Ragna scoffed, fist clenching. "Of course, pretty sure neither of them can be called fans of mine, so…"

"No offense meant, but how many people _don't_ hate you?"

"Like, maybe five."

"More than I expected." Tsubaki shook her head, although she kept a wary eye on her surroundings. "…My apologies. That was uncalled for."

With a snort, Ragna opened his eyes briefly and regarded Tsubaki. "…Well, anyways. What were you thinking of planning?"

"I'm…not sure, really. We don't exactly have a lot of resources here. Perhaps a place to attempt to meet up if we get separated? Although…" Tsubaki lowered her head, lips pursed. "You don't really seem too interested in fighting him again."

"Nah, rather not." Ragna looked over her again. This girl had been arbitrarily dragged into this situation for no reason other than Azrael looking for a better fight. And now, despite being hopelessly overmatched by him, she was determined to bring him to justice; not for her own personal glory, as so many other Library bastards might have done, but to remove such a threat from the streets. "…But hell. I'll help."

"Huh?" Tsubaki's face shot up, lit with both surprise and elation. "Really?"

"Yeah. He's a dick. You're not, and are actually pretty damn agreeable for a Library officer." Ragna shrugged. "Not a hard choice."

"Ah…um, thanks." Well now. That was rather surprising. Allowing herself a smile, Tsubaki dug into a pocket and produced a pen and slip of paper. "Alright. Um…should I just give you the address for a room where we can meet?"

"Yeah, works."

"Mm…" Tsubaki scribbled something onto the paper and handed it to him. As she did so, she directed a genuine smile at him. "Um…thanks, Ragna."

"Yeah, yeah, don't-"

A stomp sounded at the far end of the alley and both turned to their pursuer. Azrael met their gaze for a moment and growled out a laugh. "Not bad for a couple of rabbits. Maybe if that alley hadn't come to a dead end, it might've worked. But you won't get away again!"

He broke into a sprint at them. Jumping to her feet, Tsubaki whipped her head around to Ragna and barked, "Run! I'll take care of this!"

"What?" Ragna wobbled to his feet and held fast to the wall to keep balance. "Are you crazy? You can't-"

"Just trust me!" Tsubaki made a hacking motion with her sword. Izayoi stretched and segmented, a chain of razors aimed at Azrael's feet. The weapon curled around his ankle and, with a sharp tug from Tsubaki, pulled his foot out from under him. He fell flat on his back, ankle mangled by the blade, and Tsubaki's book went to hover above him. All the light in the area drained into it, leaving Azrael in full darkness, unable to even see his hand. As the void expanded, Tsubaki turned to run. She paused to take Ragna's wrist and pull him along. Once around the next corner, she dared to speak. "We need to hurry; the blind won't last forever."

"You sure that's gonna help?"

"Hopefully, if pulling his feet out from beneath him disoriented him." Tsubaki glanced back as she spoke. And paled as Azrael charged out of the darkened zone. "…No."

"Heh. Nice try, rabbits. But now, I've got you." With a cackle, Azrael drove his forearm against the nearest building. It shook under the force, and the loadbearing wall collapsed, bringing down the rest of the building into the alleyway in a hail of brick. "You're mine!"

Tsubaki hissed under her breath. Only one option came to mind for her in such a short span of time; she tightened her grip on Ragna's wrist. Her shield led the way, spinning in purple light and dragging Tsubaki and Ragna along in its wake. They cleared the entire building with the charge, safe from its collapse. While Tsubaki paused to catch her breath, Ragna turned a corner and took her with him. He glared back at her. "Sorry, but we ain't got time for a beak. Bastard's gonna have a way through the rubble."

"…Yes, you're right. We need to find another fork and try to lose him there. Once we've lost him, I'll take us to my…"

Rubble exploded behind them, utterly destroyed by a rushing punch from Azrael. He turned a feral grin their way. "Heh…you two are actually pretty entertaining. Thanks for making up for your boring fight!"

"Piss off, you bastard!" Ragna dragged Tsubaki straight into the next alleyway without looking at what awaited them. And came to a skidding halt a moment later. The claustrophobia-inducing alleyway ended after only a few meters. He snarled. "Shit, what…"

"Shh. Look away." Tsubaki raised her sword and turned to point it at the alley's entrance, where Azrael would no doubt turn any second now. A light glowed at its tip, another blinding burst of light ready. As expected, Azrael thundered into view, red eyes wide with glee. The orb exploded, blinding Azrael once more. However, he unloaded a full-force punch into Tsubaki's cheek and sent her bouncing all the way against the far wall.

"Tsubaki!" Ragna opened his eyes at the sound of her cry and raced over to her side. He dared a glance back. Azrael advanced with flailing fists; anything that tried to slip by him would doubtlessly by crushed by a blow. Shit. "Are you alright?"

"Nnh…" Tsubaki opened her eyes despite the pounding agony in her skull. She blinked at the flailing foe advancing their way and nodded. Her voice came as little more than a whisper, barely audible over Azrael's bestial roars even at her close proximity to Ragna. "Shadow walk. Now."

"Right…" Ragna took her by both hands and they joined for an incantation. As they finished, both of them melted into the shadows blanketing the alleyway. Safety had been achieved, but now they were every bit as blind as their pursuer. "You realize we have no way of knowing if he leaves, right?"

"Just listen for him."

"Grah…you won't get me with that again, bitch." Azrael blinked bloodshot eyes at his surroundings, vision returning in degrees. He snarled; where were they? "Heh…hiding, are we? I know you didn't get away…"

Tsubaki held in a squeak of terror as his footsteps rumbled overhead. She had no idea how long she would have to hold this Ars for, and she doubted she could do it for long. If Azrael realized what they had done, all this would accomplish was further weakening them for his pleasure. If only one of them could rise and escape, the other could just escape in their shadow, but…

Azrael moved to a pile of rubbish in the back and kicked at it. No sign of his prey anywhere. He growled. Where the hell could they have gone? There was no way they could have slipped by him…right? But, the girl was rather small… Goddammit, they'd managed it, hadn't they? And to track them down now that he had wasted so much time here… "…Very cute. But you're not escaping me just yet! Get back here!"

With that, Azrael thundered down and out of the alley. Even as the stomping and rustling ceased, Ragna and Tsubaki remained as though in paralytic trance, held by fear. Sure, Azrael implied he was now actively searching for them elsewhere and he did not come off as overly intelligence, but the hope that he was not laying a trap was not one to place their lives in. For another three minutes, they remained as one with the shadows, listening for any faint trace of Azrael. Finally, Ragna dispelled the Ars and both rose to the street. Azrael was nowhere in sight. With a sigh of relief, Ragna stood up and smirked down at Tsubaki. "Heh. Good plan."

"Mm…" Tsubaki remained face-down in the dirty street, clutching her head. A deep bruise marred her face, and the drain from the shadow Ars left her near immobile. She struggled to rise to her hands and knees, but collapsed straight away with a piteous whimper. "Ragna…"

"I gotcha, don't worry." After kneeling back down, Ragna rolled Tsubaki onto her back with surprising gentleness and scooped her up. "To your place, then?"

"Y…yes…" Tsubaki curled up against him, setting aside all remaining misgivings about him aside. Allegiances be damned, the Grim Reaper was her ally against a mutual threat. Her arms came around his neck for support. "I'll direct you here…"

"Right."

* * *

"That is it." That, as it was, being a simple, three-story hotel not too far from the alleys of terror they had fled through. Tsubaki took her arms from around Ragna's neck and allowed a small smile. It seemed that they had reached safety. "Second floor on the left side, room B-12."

"Alright." Thanking everything he could think of that Tsubaki was quite light, Ragna staggered toward the hotel. Between the taxing battle, the flight from Azrael and carrying around his new companion for about twenty minutes now, all he wanted to do was lie flat. For like a day. Assuming Tsubaki would allow for that, of course. "Um, you don't mind if I rest for a bit when we get in, do you?"

"Of course not; I was planning on doing the same. Afterwards, I could treat your wounds the best I can and we can plan our next move."

"Don't worry about that; I'll be fine." Ragna trudged up the stairs and approached the door she had indicated. "Um…got a key, or should I just kick it down?"

"…Please don't do anything like that. If you could set me down for a moment, I'll unlock it." As soon as she was back on her feet, Tsubaki dug into her uniform and produced a simple metal key. She opened the door to reveal a plain, single-room suite with little more than a bed, a couch and a kitchen area. As she stepped inside, she turned a bleary smile his way. "Um…please make yourself comfortable."

"Cool." Ragna wandered into the room, glanced at the bed and the couch and plopped down on the former. "Thanks, Tsubaki."

"Mm…it's no problem." Tsubaki shut the door and stored up the rest of her strength to cast an Ars, an alarm in case Azrael tracked them here as well. When she turned around, she froze up and sighed inwardly. "You…um, want the bed, then?"

"Er…" Ragna blushed, rose and trudged over to the couch instead. "You can have it; you're worse off than I am."

"No, it would be fine…" Still, Tsubaki went over and lay down on the bed. In her fatigue, she didn't even bother draping the covers over her. "You're sure?"

"Yeah." Ragna shifted around to lie on the all-too-small couch. "Ain't that much of a dick."

"Well…thanks." With that, Tsubaki snuggled up to her pillow, ready to drift off to sleep…

"Would've thought a noble could afford a better room."

Ragna's words startled Tsubaki; she'd figured he'd be asleep before her. She shook her head. "I don't care much for frivolities, especially not when on assignment."

"Fair enough."

She blinked at him. "Um…are you going to sleep?"

"Nah. Remember hearing something about not sleeping when concussed. And I'd rather be awake in case the Psychotic Hulk kicks the door down, anyways."

"…I set up an alarm Ars, but this is probably a better idea. Suit yourself, then."

With that, Tsubaki dozed off for a good hour. When she awakened, it was to the scent of something cooking. Yawning, she stretched and turned to the kitchen, where Ragna stirred a pot of something. "Mm…Ragna?"

"Huh?" Ragna turned away from his stew and gave her a quick nod. "Hey, Tsubaki. Sleep well?"

"Yes, I did, thank you." Shaking her head, which still throbbed from the strike to her skull, Tsubaki rose from the bed and made her way closer to him. It bothered her somewhat to see him take such liberties in her room, but she couldn't say no to a meal right now. "When that's done, if you don't mind . . . I could check over and treat what I can of you?"

Ragna held in a chuckle. One-track mind, this chick. "If you think I need to be treated, sure. I'd be more about yourself, though…"

"I'll go ahead and take care of myself while you cook, then." Tsubaki moved to go sit down on the couch to begin healing her wounds with low murmurs of an Ars chant. Finally, time to relax, even if only for a few minutes…

Something outside boomed, something with enough force to shake the building. An all too familiar laugh sounded from behind the door, paralyzing Ragna and Tsubaki where they stood. By all indication, someone—and they had a very good idea who—had just blasted the door off the neighboring room. Footsteps thudded closer. A second blow followed, launching the door off its hinges, and a face framed by blue hair poked inside. "Found you, rabbits."


	3. Tyrant

Ragna wasted no time in grabbing the pot of boiling stew and hurling its contents at Azrael. The liquid seared his skin and the madman roared, doubling over as he clutched his face. With a snarl, Ragna swept Tsubaki out of her fearful catatonia by dragging her by the wrist toward the window. Without hesitation, he delivered a sharp kick to the glass and jumped out, taking Tsubaki with him.

"What are you…?" Tsubaki's question gave way to a shriek as they plummeted to the street. However, before they could splat against the concrete, a last-second Ars from Ragna cushioned their fall and allowed them to land safely. Tsubaki had no time to gather her wits, though; Ragna broke off into a sprint, pulling her along. "Hey! Wait! Do you even have a place to retreat to in mind? And…how are you so spry after suffering a concussion?"

"I heal fast, and I have no plans beyond get the fuck out of here." Ragna bolted for a milling crowd. "Come on, we gotta lose him. Or try to, at least. Any idea how the hell he's able to find us so easily?"

"I've never met him or indicated were I was staying to him, if that's what you're asking." Tsubaki wrenched her hand free of Ragna's grip, but kept her pace behind him. "He might have a way to track us, however."

"Would explain everything except how he lost us in the first place. Or how we got a freaking hour of rest from him chasing us." Ragna slowed to a walk as he entered the belt of civilians, none aware of the looming danger Azrael presented. With a growl, Ragna reached back and took Tsubaki by the hand. "Come on, Tsubaki, stay close."

"Right." Tsubaki gripped his hand in return and drew herself almost up against him, so as not to be separated by the streaming crowd. As her hand touched his, some thought came to her, completely unbidden. _Kill Ragna_. She froze up a moment, face pale from the sheer force of the thought. However, his grip pulled her along, not giving her any time to consider it. She broke into as much of a run as possible after him, glancing back in the hopes that they had somehow already lost Azrael.

But of course not. His blue mane poked out from behind the crowd, which unfortunately scattered as he approached, muscular arms swatting aside all who dared stand between him and his prey. Snarling, Ragna bolted, shoving people out of his way. Light annoyance sparked in Tsubaki at her companion's treatment of innocent civilians, but bit down any protests. The sooner they could clear the crowd, the sooner they would all be in significantly less danger, after all.

Tsubaki held her sword tight in her other hand, light shimmering on its edge. Ragna balked a moment at the sight, but her sprint forced him to keep moving. "Close your eyes. This one's going to be massive. I hate unleashing such an attack in public, but I do not believe we have much in the way of choice at the moment."

"Yeah…I'm seriously gonna kick this guy's ass for involving bystanders. Piece of shit." Submitting to Tsubaki's plan, Ragna closed his eyes and, for good measure, looked away and covered his face with a hand. "Right. Go ahead."

With a murmur, Tsubaki set off the flash. A brilliant lance of light skewered the sky and spread through the streets, encompassing the entire block. Shouts sounded, including a deep roar that had to be Azrael. Shivering, in total disbelief of herself—these were people she sought to protect, and she had just brought harm upon them for her own sake—Tsubaki nonetheless soldiered onward. There was no way she could let this chance go to waste, not with its toll. No sooner had she thought of the cost than a spear of pain ran through her eyes and her vision blurred. She squealed and came to a dead halt, dropping to her knees as she clutched her face.

"Tsubaki! The hell…oh. Right." God damn Izayoi. Their temporary savior also proved a detriment, it seemed. Without delay, Ragna reached down and scooped up Tsubaki. "Sorry, but we can't stop."

With a meek whimper, Tsubaki nodded. Truth be told, she had expected this to happen upon release of her attack. However, all her bracing for it had done little to prepare her for the sheer agony that now pounded in her head. She doubted she could even walk straight any time soon. "…Thank you."

"Not a problem. We got another set of alleys coming up; let's lose him there if we can." Ragna glanced down at her small frame. "…Thanks and all, but you're gonna get a new weapon. Rather not see that damn thing take your life."

"…I'm afraid I don't really have much of a choice in the matter." Still, Tsubaki had to admit she was somewhat touched by Ragna's concern for her. An idea came to her, and she fumbled in a pocket for a small radio. "Um…if you want to call for backup…"

Ragna gazed down at the small device and frowned. "You got anybody? 'Cause the only person I can think of to contact's the Red Devil, and I have no idea if he'd help against another Sector Seven bastard."

"Unfortunately, no. Wings of Justice are typically expected to handle situations on their own, so…" Tsubaki held the radio closer to her face, trying to read the numbers on its dial. "Could you give me his frequency, please?"

Ragna rattled off a number after taking a moment to think, and Tsubaki dialed it. A moment later, a voice sounded. "Unit TR/0009 reporting. Who is this?"

"Major Tsubaki Yayoi of the Librarium's Zero Squadron. Don't worry, Red Devil, I don't believe I'm your enemy for the time being." Tsubaki waited a breath, making sure that Tager would not just shut off his radio. "I'm currently with Ragna the Bloodedge, on the run from an agent of your organization. Ragna suggested you as a possible ally against him."

"An agent of Sector Seven?" Tager's voice was confusion incarnate. "May I ask who you mean?"

"Some asshat named Azrael." Ragna glared down at the radio as he slipped into the alley. "You know him?"

"_What_?" Tager audibly loosed a growl. "Why is Azrael…never mind. I would be glad to help seize him. I never thought he'd be released again. What is Sector Seven up to…?"

Ragna snorted. "How the hell should we know? Still, thanks."

"It is no problem. I have your coordinates; I'll be there shortly to detain Azrael."

The radio went silent, and Tsubaki sighed. "…Well, at least he sounds willing to help. Is he trustworthy?"

"He's saneish. For whatever that counts for." Panting, Ragna took another turn in an alleyway and made a beeline for a nook. The small alcove proved deep enough for him to enter, and would prevent them from being spotted with a simple glance down this alley. He dropped to a seat, Tsubaki still cradled in his arms. "…Sorry. Need a few minutes of rest here."

"It's…fine." Tsubaki peered up at him, somewhat unnerved by their proximity. Still, the feeling his hand on her shoulder, a light squeeze, proved comforting for her agony. It was just a few minutes, after all. She curled up closer to him, eyes closed to best relieve the pain shooting through them. He was right; she really needed to find a new weapon to replace Izayoi and the threat it held.

…He really was not the monster that the stories painted him as. Rather than a cold murderer, he had proven caring, concerned about others around him. It shocked Tsubaki to realize this, but she actually found she quite liked him…

_Kill Ragna._

She jerked and shot her eyes open at the sudden thought. That was the second time now; just where was that coming from? She didn't feel like that, after all, so why would she…?

"Hey, you alright?" Ragna looked down at her, mouth in a concerned frown. "You look spooked."

"It's…nothing. Please don't worry about it." Still, the force of the thought left Tsubaki shivering. "Are you rested enough to go yet?"

A laugh sounded from somewhere, all too familiar by now. Azrael's voice followed. "Heh. Do you really think trash like you could escape me? I've got a trace on one of you. And I think I've wasted enough time on trash like you. The catch, for me, is better than the chase, after all. Enchant Dragunov level 3, release."

Ragna and Tsubaki fell dead still, dead silent, trapped in a nightmare. A trace, and even more power than Azrael had previously displayed…just how could they hope to escape his death sentence? A low rumble sounded. Then the building behind them shook and collapsed forward, tumbling onto them. With a roar, Ragna darted as far forward as he could before curling up on top of Tsubaki, protecting her from the wave of hailing bricks. As the rain ended and Ragna pulled his battered form and Tsubaki back up from the debris, he turned around to look behind him.

Behind the wreckage, Azrael crouched, a feral grin on his lips and his fist submerged in the base of the building's ruins. The aura around him had shifted, a red incorporeal afterimage that followed behind him. "Found you. It's over."

"What…?" Ragna stared in absolute hollow shock, every last bit of confidence drained from him. This was impossible. There was no way he could get away from this monstrosity alive. He gasped as something clutched him and looked down. Tsubaki stared at Azrael as well, arms wrapped around Ragna's waist and chest, an image of total fear. Her leechlike grip almost bit through his shirt into his skin. She squeaked, and Ragna glanced back up to the sight of Azrael advancing. "Just what the hell are you?!"

A low chuckle answered him. "I am the Tyrant. Sector Seven's mad dog. Their enforcer…and there's not a damn person that can stop me."

"That may be true…" A new voice sounded as footsteps echoed across the wastes. Tager came to a halt beside Ragna and Tsubaki, arm lowered in their direction as though to protect them. "After all, you are guilty of genocide. However, I seem to recall locking you up before."

"The Red Devil…heh." Azrael's grin turned Tager's way and he cracked his knuckles. "You beat me without releasing my limiters. Let's see if you can handle me now."

Face passive, Tager turned to Ragna and Tsubaki. "You two. Leave this place. I'll deal with Azrael."

Without a word, Ragna nodded, scooped Tsubaki and her paralyzing grip into his arms once more, and took off, hoping to get as far from the battlefield as he could.

Azrael just smirked. They still had his trace. It didn't matter how long they ran for, or long the battle took. There would be no escape for his prey.

* * *

Ragna stumbled and dropped to his knees, sending Tsubaki sprawling. Down on his hands and knees, nearly broken, he looked up at his comrade. In the distance, crackling electricity and punches like rockets sounded. "Shit, sorry…huh?"

A sob cut him off. Trembling, face bone pale, Tsubaki curled up, hugging her legs and resting her forehead against her knees. Another sniffle, and Ragna crawled over to her side. After a moment of deliberation, he slung an arm over her shoulder and drew her in for a light hug. She couldn't afford to shatter. Not now. "Hey, come on, Tsubaki. Pull it together."

At first, it seemed his actions went unnoticed. Tsubaki gave no reaction to the embrace, nor did she acknowledge his words. After nearly ten seconds, she croaked out words. "We're…we're going to die here…"

"Don't talk like that, dammit." Although Ragna knew she was in all likelihood right; there wasn't a damn thing he could hope to do against Azrael, nor did he figure Tager could pull a second miracle against the self-proclaimed 'Tyrant'. Still, Ragna prodded her chin with a finger and all but forced her to look up, drawing a gasp. His gaze, hot with unfelt confidence, bore into her, momentarily stilling the tears from running down her cheeks. "We're not dying here. We're _not_. You hear me?"

"But…" The shock dispelled and Tsubaki's tears resumed. She pressed herself into his embrace and rested her head against his shoulder, muffling both words and the light crying. "We can't escape him…if he defeats Tager…"

"Then we'll find a way to kick his ass." As Ragna patted her shoulder, his gut twisted. Now he was just spouting complete bullshit at this point, to some girl who had been pulled into this fight for no goddamn reason. In all likelihood, both of them were going to die shortly, simply to feed Azrael's lust for battle. She didn't deserve that.

And Ragna was not about to let it happen.

"Listen, Tsubaki." He prodded her chin once more, trying to make her look into his eyes once more, trying to kill her tears again. At the same time, his free hand found hers and squeezed, the best reassurance he could forge for now. "You're not gonna die here. I ain't gonna let that happen. Alright? So stop crying already."

"R-Ragna…" Tsubaki just stared back at him. Light pink edged her cheeks as she reciprocated the light squeeze of the hand. No semblance of the monstrous Grim Reaper concocted by Librarium propaganda remained in her mind; the real Ragna was nothing like that heartless, murderous demon. She could almost…

_Kill Ragna_.

No, damn it all, she would _not_ do something like that. No, she would destroy that thought instead, whatever its source was. She refused to believe it could be her own at this point. Nodding, she released his hand and pulled out of his hug. "My apologies for that display. I…"

"It's fine. Can't blame you really." Ragna fell silent. No sounds from an battles reached them anymore. Was it over already? He dreaded to know, as it would in all likelihood mean Tager had proven little more than a speed bump to Azrael. God damn it all… "We should get moving…"

Tsubaki gave a shriek, and Ragna turned around. A man, trailed by red mists in his own image, came around a corner. Azrael chuckled as the bits of debris at his feet trembled in his wake, shifted by the sheer power radiating from him. "Why don't you two just give up already? The Red Devil was not enough to feed me. I didn't even bother killing him. You bits of trash, however…"

Drawing her sword, Tsubaki hopped to her feet, although she trembled in fright and the searing pain in her eyes left her vision blurry. There was no hope for victory, but… "We won't go down that easily, you bastard."

Ragna shook his head and stepped in front of her. His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. Anything that could keep this from being a one-on-one fight with a man who could level an entire building with just a punch. "Hey, Azrael. Got a deal for you."

"Huh?" Azrael crossed his arms, a frown stretching on his face. "What are you talking about? You really think after all this, I'm just gonna let you guys go?"

"No, not us. Just her." Ragna gestured to Tsubaki and drew Blood-Scythe. "If I give you the fight you want, you'll let her go free. Deal?"

"What?" Tsubaki raced up to Ragna's side, eyes wide with shock and terror. No, she couldn't let him just sacrifice himself for her sake. "No, I refuse. I'll fight at your side, and…"

"Izayoi's basically destroyed you; you fight him, you'll die. Not letting that happen." Ragna turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He gave her a smirk, even though his planning was still half-baked at best. "I got an idea. I got this."

"And what is this idea?" Tsubaki's eyes wandered to Azrael. His eyes were closed in contemplation.

Ragna chuckled. "I'll tell you all about it when we meet up at your hotel, alright? Get going. I'll be right there."

"Heh…" Azrael's crimson eyes shot open and he grinned. "You've got yourself a deal, Grim Reaper. Although I have to wonder what you have in mind; you couldn't even handle one limiter released. How can you hope to deal with two?"

"Yeah, that's gonna be on you." Ragna jabbed a finger Azrael's way. "You want this to be a fun fight? Put one of your limiters back on. I can't see any fight where you have _that_ much damn power as being too fun."

Azrael shook his head and laughed under his breath. "I should have known; you're too much of a coward to face my near full wrath."

Ragna gulped. Not only did it sound like he would refuse, but if he lifted another limiter…

"But you're right. Fighting Tager was no fun like this. Enchant Dragunov, level 3 close." The afterimage burning behind Azrael faded into shapeless mist rising from his shoulders. "You have a deal. Leave, you Library insect. You're safe; the trace is on Ragna only."

"R…" Tsubaki stalled up. How could she just leave now? This was the best chance they had! But…no, if she joined, Azrael would no doubt release his limiter again. An impossible foe. Left with no other options, she nodded, trying to hold in her despair. "Right. I'll just…"

"Just a sec." Ragna pulled out a slip of paper; Tsubaki recognized it as the one she had written her address on. He scrawled out a number and handed it to her. "Here. That's one of the top scientists of Sector Seven's radio frequency. Call her, get support for Tager. Alright?"

"A-alright." Tsubaki took the paper with a trembling hand. "But…how will you find…?"

"I remember where the place is. I'll be fine." Ragna turned a glare on her. "Get going, before this ape changes his mind."

"Alright." Tsubaki backed away, shuddering away. Just before turning to bolt, she said, "You had better come back alive, Ragna."

"Course I will." Once Tsubaki had fled, Ragna turned his glare on Azrael. Finally, all that talking had given him time to formulate a plan. It was simple, primitive, but still a plan. He wouldn't even have to win the fight. He snarled, baring his teeth as he activated his grimoire. "Let's go, you damn gorilla!"


	4. Izayoi

What on earth was she doing? How could she leave someone to die for her, without doing everything in her power to defeat the evil that threatened the both of them? She needed to turn back right now, and join Ragna in bringing down that monster. But…what could she hope to do? Azrael would just swat her aside, no more threat to him than a fly. How could so powerful a man exist, anyways? Was science just that advanced, to create a single being who alone trumped all Ars Magus development to date? And _why was she just leaving Ragna to his death at such a person's hands, damn it?_

The maelstrom of emotion that threatened to rip Tsubaki apart peaked, and she dropped to her knees, hugging herself and shivering. She had to go back and help Ragna. But he had a plan to defeat Azrael. And wanted her to get to safety. She had to trust him here, not throw her life away… But was hers so much more valuable than his? Azrael couldn't be allowed to roam free anymore. She had to help, but she couldn't do anything about it, but she…

Tager. She needed to get help for Tager. No matter her feelings on Sector Seven, the Red Devil had done his best to apprehend Azrael, in all likelihood saving her life and Ragna's. At least he hadn't died for her sake as well, even if it was just because Azrael found him boring. With trembling hands, she drew out the radio and fumbled with the dial. She waited on bated breath, hoping that whoever she was contacting would actually answer…

"Alright. How the hell am I being contacted by a Library radio? Ragna, if this is your idea of a joke…"

"I mean you no harm. Really." The inadvertent sniffle would probably help convince this woman, as well. "This…this is one of the top scientists from Sector Seven, right?"

"Heh. As if you could do anything to me." A prideful laugh followed. "But yeah, I am. Name's Kokonoe. Now, the hell do you want? And who are you? And how'd you get my frequency? Only about three people should have this, and none of them carry a Library signal."

"I'm…Major Tsubaki Yayoi of the NOL's Zero Squadron. Ragna gave me your frequency, and—"

"And why the hell would Ragna give a Library officer my number? Look, I've got your coordinates right now. This shit's traceable, you know. So if you can't…"

"Please, ma'am. Ragna's in trouble, and I really need to get back to him." Tsubaki shivered, knowing that desperation must have shown through in her voice. Once she was certain the scientist was listening, she continued. "I am calling you to report that Iron Tager has been defeated, and requires attention."

"…And just who did this?"

Tsubaki took a breath to steel herself. Not that it did much good, as tremors in her hand continued to shake the radio. "Another agent of Sector Seven. Azrael, who has also been pursuing Ragna and I."

Silence, for far too long for Tsubaki to be comfortable. At last, the woman on the other line spoke. "You're shitting me. Azrael…how the hell is he doing anything?!"

"He…was locked up in the past by Tager, wasn't he?" Tsubaki searched her panic-laden mind, trying to recall exactly what Tager had said. It was something to that effect. "It would seem that Sector Seven saw fit to release Azrael. He has been after us for hours now, and Ragna…" She broke off, unable to speak of his sacrifice.

"Ragna's _what_, exactly? Dammit, Major, this is important! Keep it together!"

Tsubaki recoiled at the reprimand, but gave an utterly pointless nod. "R-right, my apologies. Ragna…in order to spare me, is…is currently fighting Azrael alone."

"…Go figure. The guy's braindead. And what the hell happened to Tager?"

"He came to our rescue at one point and attempted to fight Azrael himself. Needless to say…he lost. But Azrael said that he left Tager alive, so…"

"So I need to drag my ass out there to collect that bucket of bolts. Got it. Yayoi, listen to me. Calm yourself down, and get the hell out of there. Ragna probably ain't gonna last long if Azrael has just _one_ of his limiters removed, so you don't have very much time."

"But…" Tsubaki hung her head with a shudder. "I can't just leave him…"

If the silence that followed was any indication whatsoever, her words completely shocked the scientist. "…Never thought I'd see the day an NOL brat gave a shit about the Grim Reaper. But you need to pull yourself together, Major. Chances are, Ragna's just gonna run the hell away from Azrael first chance he gets if he knows he can't win."

"…I doubt it. Ragna…said he'd give Azrael a good fight, if it meant that Azrael would spare me."

Again, frozen silence followed. "…Well, damn. Never thought—well. No. He makes a living doing dumbass things." A sigh followed, and then an echo of reverberating metal. "God _damn_ it, what the hell is wrong with that idiot? He goes through with it, he's gonna die. And if not…"

Tears leaked from Tsubaki's eyes at the implication. "I can't just let him die for my sake. I need to go back, but…"

"Listen, I'm getting down there as quickly as I can. I'll deal with Azrael. You…make sure Ragna makes it through, alright? Just try and avoid fighting Azrael if at all possible. He…well, let's just say we Sector Seven got what they wanted with him, for better or for worse."

"…What is Azrael, anyways? He…he can't be human…"

"Oh, he was at one point. I'd explain exactly what we did to him, but…well, shit, you probably wouldn't understand all the sciency shit. I'll just say the Sector modified the hell out of him, and now he could probably kick anyone's ass. Now, get going, we ain't got time for you to lollygag around."

"All…alright. Thank you very much."

* * *

With a roar, Ragna flipped toward Azrael, his sword's blade extended and angled into a scythe. The swath of caliginous shadow sank into Azrael's raised arm to little effect; Ragna grunted. "Okay, how the goddamn hell can you do that?"

"That was your plan?" Before Ragna could land, Azrael gave him a swift knee to the gut and launched him away with a punch, an orange nebula coiled around it. As Ragna bounced away, Azrael shook his head and clutched the gash that the spinning cut had engraved in his arm. "You need to do more to entertain me, Reaper! I'm still bored...maybe that girl would be a bit more fun!"

"Tch. Like you'd be able to find her again." Still, Ragna's heart stopped a moment at the threat. There wouldn't be any escaping from this, unless he wanted to sacrifice Tsubaki to this bastard. "Seriously, what the hell would you get out of tracking her down now?"

"Settlement." Azrael punched the ground, sending fissures Ragna's way. Dull crimson, the color of his aura, burned in the cracks as they snaked along the ground. Ragna jumped away from them as Azrael hefted a chunk of the street and hurled it after his prey. "If you won't give me what I want, then maybe she will!"

"Sorry, but we _don't_ exist for your damn pleasure." Ragna ducked under the flying block of street and glared at Azrael, trying to think of _anything_. The harebrained plan he'd come up with, which would have ended with him bolting and Azrael none the wiser any time soon, was useless. And goddammit, if he didn't satisfy this bastard's bloodlust, Tsubaki would pay. The black mists radiating from his arm grew as he allowed more of the Azure's power to flow through him without restriction. Almost immediately, he grunted and almost doubled over. He had never demanded this much from his Grimoire before, and he hoped he'd never have to again. "Alright, you want a fight…"

Azrael's eyes widened the slightest bit from both surprise and hunger as a tar-like gangrene inched up from Ragna's shoulder to his neck and right cheek. Just what _was _this man? Teeth glistened as his grin widened. "Oh, this is interesting. Why did you hold such power back before, Reaper?"

Because Jubei had told him that pulling this particular stunt could end in total destruction. "Because I didn't think a dumb monkey like you was worth it. Well, whatever. Bring it!"

Ragna lunged forward with a punch. As expected, Azrael just caught it on his palm with all the effort of swatting a fly. "Good! Your talking was getting boring!"

Ragna's fist opened and clenched around Azrael's, before jerking him into a shrieking demon's head of Azure energy. To Azrael's surprise, the attack drove him back a good distance as it corroded his body. Scratching his eyes from the mist clouding his vision, Azrael failed to see Ragna's blade coming until it had already embedded itself in his gut. The blade pierced, but not all the way through. Azrael grunted as he clasped his hands to either side of the blade and pushed back, snarling as his blood dripped to the street below. They held the checkmate for several moments, hardly moving in the least.

"Die, asshole!" With a sudden surge of strength, Ragna hefted Blood-Scythe overhead and brought it down, the mists around it extending as their own blade fifteen feet past the sword's end. As the sword came up, Azrael vanished and reappeared several feet back, only to receive the Azure's scald before he could hope to react. Another charging punch followed, and this time the following burst of shadow sent Azrael skidding back. Ragna stood still, panting. He could do this, dammit. Sure, his fingers felt twisted and a veil of crimson had fallen over his eyesight, but who gave a shit? He had all this power; nothing could stand before him! "You're not walking away from this, you bastard!"

"To unveil such power for your love…heh." Azrael emerged from a hole blown into a building, limping the slightest bit. Okay, maybe he would have to increase to level 3 again after all. It was, in all likelihood, the only way to handle someone as utterly inhuman as Ragna was proving to be. Still…one more go with him at this current power. This was too fun to pass up. "Come, Ragna the Bloodedge! Feed me more! Feed me everything! I will overcome your all and consume you!"

"Still a damn nutcase, even when you're bleeding out. Fine then. Let's go." Ragna swung despite the distance, and a massive serpentine head of the same misty substance that cloaked his entire body swam over the street at Azrael. Ragna dashed after it and slashed, shadows once more extending the size of his cut.

"Growler Field!" Azrael raised both arms with hooked fingers, an ursine posture, and the red field around him swallowed both attacks. "Distance does me as much good as it does you, Reaper. Phalanx Cannon."

A bolt of the red aura fired at Ragna and caught him square in the stomach to carry him all the way back against a far building. He stuck to the wall a moment before tumbling forward to the ground…only for his fall to be intercepted by a second blast from Azrael. He dropped to his stomach and rolled to his back. Before he could get up, Azrael took a mammoth leap at him, intent on crushing Ragna beneath his feet. It was all Ragna could do to bring Blood-Scythe up and parallel to his body, braced with both arms in the hopes Azrael would land on it.

Azrael did so, coming down on its flat and delivering enough force to press it into Ragna's chest. Ragna gurgled as his breath choked and his ribs probably cracked, trying not to think of what would have happened had he not buffered the force with his sword. With a barked laugh, Azrael jumped a foot and swung around for an overhead kick at Ragna's head. On instinct, Ragna blocked with his arm, nearly shattering his bone. And once again, the sheer weight of his opponent threatened to shatter bone as Azrael landed on him again. Smirking, Azrael peered down at Ragna. "Heh. You weren't bad after all. But it's all over now! Patriot…"

Azrael hopped back and punched the ground, his aura projecting itself and burning over Ragna to paralyze him. With the ground below him shattered by the strike, Azrael dug his hands under the street and lifted. A gargantuan chunk of street rose with it, Ragna panting in agony on top of it. He tensed up, preparing to hurl several tons of rock skyward. "Apocalypse!"

Before he could throw the chunk of asphalt, however, something crashed into him from above, a star-hot globe that bowled him over onto his back. He had no time to react as a meteoric rain fell upon him, brilliant spheres of light from high above. They pummeled him like nothing else before, leaving him scorched on the street. In spite of his sheer agony, his burnt body, Azrael still managed to fight to his feet, to battle with whoever had dared interfered.

Perhaps he shouldn't have been surprised when he saw who it was, but nevertheless the sight of Tsubaki, wincing but still preparing another attack, threw him for a brief loop. He coughed out a laugh. "Heh…should've known…Growler…"

He tried to lift his arm, to expand Dragunov to capture whatever came next. However, his body was spent, destroyed by the comets of light that had just peppered him, and he sagged back to his knees. Given time, he would no doubt recover. But…

Tsubaki's eyes opened as the point of her sword glowed with stored light. She had no idea what toll Izayoi would take on her for such an overuse of its abilities—already everything blurred beyond recognition, but Azrael's blue hair made it impossible for him to be mistaken as anyone else—but if it ended this madman's rampage, then no price was too steep. "Let sinners be punished. Let justice be done."

_Kill Ragna_.

No.

A white finger of light, too bright to gaze upon, jettisoned from Izayoi. Azrael had no chance to dodge the attack, or even brace himself. The laser blasted straight through his gut. He gasped once and fell forward, eyes wide and glassy. His fingers clawed in spasms at the gravel on the street as he fought to remain conscious. But he knew it was a losing effort. "…Not bad…"

As Azrael stopped moving, Tsubaki gave a scream of pure anguish and dropped to her knees, curling up in the street. Burning agony beat down her eyes, radiating through her skull until she was certain she would die from it. She trembled as she clutched her face, Izayoi's blade dropping to the ground in front of her. She opened her eyes at the clink and stared at the blue eye of its hilt. And as she did, her vision faded, her last sight the mocking visage of her weapon. As blackness overtook her, tears leaked out of useless eyes.

Something—a hand by the feel of it—descended upon her shoulder and Tsubaki gasped, looking up on instinct despite the eternal night her vision had become. The hand squeezed her shoulder once and a friendly, if feral, voice answered her fear. "Hey, relax. Just me."

"Ragna…" Voice faint, Tsubaki curled up against him, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry. I know you told me to leave, but…I couldn't just leave you to die."

A light chuckle, lacking much of the earlier edge, tickled her ear as a pair of arms came around her for a hug. "And it's a damn good thing you did. Somehow, I get the feeling his last attack would've finished me. Well, come on. …You alright?"

"…I can't see." And as though to prove it, Tsubaki opened her eyes once more, hoping that against all odds, she would be able to see Ragna. All in vain, of course. And even now, her strength siphoned straight out of her body. She pressed closer against him, the only comfort she had. "I'm sorry. Izayoi's toll…I doubt I'm going to recover…"

"…No, god dammit, you're not dying here. Not after that." His grip tightened on her, Tsubaki could just imagine the look of angry determination on his face. She came up off the ground, and knew Ragna must have lifted her to carry her somewhere. On instinct, she coiled her arms, weak though they were, around his neck. But no, she didn't feel any further movement. Metal scraped over gravel, an unpleasant noise that made Tsubaki's stomach turn. "Come on, there's gotta be a hospital around somewhere. You're gonna be fine."

Something gripped Tsubaki's hand, warm and leathery. She was lifted a few feet off the ground, only for Ragna to utter a hiss of pain and drop back down. Tsubaki shook her head and forced a smile. She had accomplished something, had taken out a potential tremendous threat to the world. "Don't worry about it. I…don't think a hospital would help me much. You're injured…please don't strain yourself for my sake."

"But…" There was a momentary silence. A touch of dryness colored Ragna's tone. "I think I've made a habit of it now, anyways. Shut up and hang on."

"It's okay." Tsubaki returned the squeeze with what minimal strength she possessed, even as Ragna wheezed hard with the effort of lifting her again. Cool wetness spread across her side and her face; one heavy and clammy, the other light droplets.

She paused as something wet splashed to her cheek from above. Her hat slipped off and fingers traced through her hair. "…Ragna? Could you do something for me?"

"Of course." His arms brought her in tighter.

"Do you know Noel Vermillion?"

"Yeah, course."

"Tell her…" Tsubaki broke off with a wince, and took a moment to regain her thoughts. Her mind was so fuzzy now… "Tell her I'm sorry for everything…that I forgive her, and that I hope she can do the same for me…"

"I'll tell her." Tsubaki gasped, her breath weak, as he started stumbling forward. From the slow drag of the motion, he was leaning against a wall to do it. "God…Tsubaki…hang in there, okay? Look, once all this shit's over, let's, like…I dunno, get dinner or something? Whatever you want…"

Tsubaki chuckled. "That…sounds wonderful. I'd love to…"

"R-right, then. It's settled. Soon as you're better…" Ragna fell silent, unable to finish the sentence. His grip tightened. "…Thanks. You saved me there, you know…"

"Mm…" Tsubaki turned her face up, feeling with it to figure out just how close Ragna was holding her. After a moment of fogged consideration, she pressed her lips to his cheek. "…Please tell Jin I'm sorry, as well. And Makoto."

"You seriously think you're going to die and the last thing you try to do is apologize to people for the inconvenience?" Ragna weakly joked as his fingers tightened painfully. Still, his grip slumped.

Tsubaki gasped, the best imitation of a laugh she could muster, even though she knew that it was not be. Nothing Ragna could say could change the reality of the situation. But least he was doing everything he could to make her final minutes pleasant…as much as possible, with her weakening breaths and dying heartbeat.

_Kill Ragna._

…Why was that voice still here, commanding her to do the last thing she wanted to do, when she wasn't even physically capable of obeying? Instead, she just did her best to snuggle closer to Ragna.

Hurried footsteps sounded behind them, and a voice that lay on the dimming vestiges of Tsubaki's memory followed. The Sector Seven official she had spoken with earlier. Kokonoe. "Well, damn. You guys actually got him. Nice work. If he's still alive, we'll lock him up for good."

"Kokonoe!" Ragna's skin left Tsubaki's, but his grip didn't let up at all. "This girl needs help right now! She…used Izayoi, and…"

"…Izayoi. Wonderful. Just a second." The footsteps grew louder, and another hand fell upon her forehead. "Shit…glad I got here when I did. Hold still a moment."

A low murmur and then a warmth in her forehead Tsubaki could not describe followed. It spread through her body, coursing in her blood to burn away the haze of darkness settling in her mind. As the sensation worked its way through her, it soothed Tsubaki to peaceful slumber in Ragna's arms.

Kokonoe straightened up and looked down at the pale girl before her. "Don't worry, she's just asleep. I've halted Izayoi's corruption, so she should survive, but I can't reverse it without some preparation."

Ragna started, but came to a halt once his near-broken body protested. "You…you can save her?"

"Yeah. She'll be out for a few days, and I doubt she'll ever be the same, but I'm pretty sure I can reverse most of Izayoi's damage. Just gotta get back to the lab." Kokonoe's gaze drifted from Ragna to the defeated Azrael. "But shit, she got him, didn't she? Amazed he's still breathing, but he's so far past human, I really shouldn't be. The hell'd she do to put a hole in his belly?"

"Dunno; just a bunch of light's all I saw." In spite of the knowledge that Tsubaki would be okay, Ragna refused to stop clasping her. "What are you gonna do with him?"

Kokonoe twisted her lip as she observed Azrael before planting a sharp kick to his side. "Well, I'd love to end him right here, but somehow, I don't see that going over well with the Sector Seven bigwigs. I'll contact the local Sector branch and get some guys down here. Drag his ass off to prison. Meanwhile, I heard from a Library Major that Tager's been kinda trashed, which is why I'm here really."

On realization, Kokonoe turned back to look at the girl. "…That's Major Yayoi, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's her." Ragna's eyes still did not break from the girl in his arms. "Thanks, Kokonoe. Seriously."

"…You sure seem attached to her. Ah well, from how she was freaking out while I was talking to her, I guess Azrael put you two through a lot of shit." Kokonoe sighed. "I'm gonna go fix Tager up as well as I can, then get you two down to my lab to do the same for you. Just sit tight a moment."

"Right." As Kokonoe scuttled off to search the nearby rubble to find the rust behemoth, Ragna glanced down beside him, where Izayoi lay. That goddamned weapon had damn near taken Tsubaki's life. He wanted nothing more than to destroy the accursed thing right now, so that it couldn't torment Tsubaki anymore. But…he should probably ask her about it first. He was not about to take any chances, considering how tied to Izayoi its wielders were. So he would take it with him, and let Tsubaki decide its fate. Right now, all he could do was wait for Kokonoe to return.


	5. Awakening

Two days. Two days, and not a twitch of movement from his savior. Ragna sighed as he stared down at Tsubaki, slumbering on a medical bed. Okay, so he hadn't exactly been glued to the spot or anything—never a good idea to stay in one place and all. And really, he probably shouldn't have been returning here at all after staking out the local Library branch. Far too good a chance that some Library dumbass would follow him. And then probably figure out that hey, this was a Sector Seven lab.

But he couldn't, no matter how damn annoying Kokonoe got. Not after what Tsubaki had done. He extended a hand over her forehead and muttered an incantation, a healing Ars that he hoped would not prove as useless as the others. Of course, she did not stir as the light crimson glow from his hand faded, and he sighed. Goddammit, why couldn't he do a damn thing to help her? He had to pay her back somehow; dinner wasn't enough for what she'd done. And there was nothing he could do, except wait by her bed and hope that she awakened soon.

"Geez, you're still hanging around? I told you, she'll wake up when she's ready." The door slid open behind him and Kokonoe stormed in with a scowl. "Alright, that's the good news. Ready for the bad?"

"What the hell's the 'good' news there?" Ragna didn't even turn to Kokonoe, although his scowl cracked. "That she'll wake up?"

"Yeah." Kokonoe sighed as she came to stand next to Tsubaki's bed. "Bad news is, it's probably not a good idea for me to try and fix her sight with…well, anything."

"…You can fix it?"

"Didn't you just hear me?" With a sharp rap on his skull, Kokonoe huffed and shook her head. "Technically, yeah, I can. However…well, Izayoi's a nasty piece of work. It's not just her eyes that it damaged. The entire occipital lobe—"

"The what?"

"The part of the brain deals with sight and shit. Hers is kinda wrecked. I _could _technically mend the damage a bit, but…um. Brains. Sensitive as hell. Chances are pretty damn good that I'd screw something else up in the process. So…yeah. Probably not a good idea."

Ragna froze in place, staring down at Tsubaki. "…G-gotcha. So, uh…"

"I'll ask her what she wants when she wakes up. As for you…" With a sigh, Kokonoe turned to him, gaze strangely soft. "Don't worry so much about her, alright? I'll figure something out for her. And…"

She broke off. No point reminding him that Tsubaki was an NOL officer, and thus technically his enemy. "Alright, I guess you can hang around a bit longer. But once she's up…"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll take off." As Kokonoe left, Ragna gave a heavy sigh. So Tsubaki wouldn't be able to see ever again. Goddamn wonderful. He should've been able to take that bastard down. Tsubaki never should've had to expend so much energy bailing his ass out. He reached down and took her hand, granting it a brief squeeze. And to his shock, it reciprocated, a light tensing so brief he had to wonder if he had really felt it. "Tsubaki…?"

"Mmn…" With another squeeze of the warm hand in her grip, Tsubaki opened her eyes. And, as confirmation of her nightmare, a pitch black void greeted her. Sitting up as slow as she could, she turned in the direction of Ragna's voice in the hopes of creating a façade of eye contact. She had been stripped of her purpose, rendered herself blind to take out an absolute madman…but at least she was alive, something she had never expected. "…Ragna."

Ragna met her gaze as well as he could, although the knowledge that he stared into sightless eyes unnerved him. "How…um…how're you feeling?"

"…I'm…." Tsubaki hung her head. She didn't hurt anywhere, not even in the eyes. All of her wounds had been long since treated, and she doubted anything except tiredness could inhibit her movements. But she wasn't okay, not by any stretch of the imagination. Her throat parched, leaving her to gape as she tried to force herself to speak. Nothing came.

A hefty sigh tickled her ear, and the bed beside her sunk as Ragna sat beside her. He gave her hand another squeeze of reassurance. "Look, um…if you need anything…"

"Mm…" Tsubaki hardly heard him, a distance conveyed in her light hum. The squeeze was nice, though. "…Did I hear Kokonoe right? That she can't heal me?"

"…She can, but…" With another sigh, Ragna trailed off. A weight settled in his gut at the prospect of breaking this news to her. But no matter how goddamn much it sucked, she needed to hear it. "…Um, something about whatever she does, like, damaging your brain further or something…"

"I see." Tsubaki nodded even as what little vestiges of hope remained were shattered by his words. So that was it, then. There was no realistic hope of her recovering her sight, at least not without running too great a risk. And if she lacked sight, then where did that leave her as a soldier?

But she knew this cost, even before she finished Azrael. She knew back when she first took Izayoi that this was bound to happen. If this was the price of taking out such a threat to society, a man so vile that he forced her and the Grim Reaper to work together, she could accept that. At least it wasn't in vain.

_Kill Ragna_.

…And that voice was still there. Tsubaki sighed, but smiled at wherever she was facing. "I'm…really just glad to be alive after that. Um…" Her cheeks burned and she knew she must have been blushing a bit. "Thanks for staying with me back there."

"What the hell kinda asshole would I be if I left you to rot there?" Ragna cuffed her on the shoulder. "You feeling up for going somewhere?"

Tsubaki froze up. True, Ragna had proven himself far from a monster, showing genuine care for her even after Azrael had been finished. Under ordinary circumstances, she would be more than willing to take him up on his offer. But…this was the Grim Reaper. In theory, her enemy, but there was no way she could ever call him that again after what he'd done for her. And her loyalty to the Librarium, eternal shackles she had consigned herself to in the name of justice, dictated that no matter how much their battlefield alliance had drawn them together, there could never be anything between them, not even friendship.

But why should she just accept that? "…Perhaps a little later. I imagine Kokonoe needs to check on me before I go anywhere. Do you have anything in mind?"

"Um…I dunno, was thinking dinner or something." The light rustle of Ragna rubbing the back of his spike-haired head followed. That pause made him nervous; the girl was an NOL officer, after all. Or…was. He had no idea how she would be treated by them now that she was effectively useless in combat. Selfish though he knew it was, part of him wished she would be discharged entirely. "Unless you'd rather do something else, of course."

"Mm…dinner sounds fine." She turned another smile at where she thought he was. Surely this would be permissible, right? A friendly dinner following their battle? "Um, do you think you could go get Kokonoe, please? I figure the sooner we know my condition, the better we can make plans."

"Yeah, sure." Ragna chuckled, and the weight on the bed left. "Be right back."

"Alright." A door clicked closed, and Tsubaki let out a sigh. What was she supposed to do now? Both her duty to the Librarium and her sense of justice dictated that she apprehend him. But…no, she couldn't do that. Not after their battles together. She would go through with this, and make her decision afterward.

And…what then? What service could she possibly provide to the Librarium now? Certainly nothing involving combat. Although… No, it was too soon to really be thinking of this. But no matter what, she would not allow this to end her service to the Librarium. She would overcome this handicap, and then…

_Kill Ragna_.

…No, not that. She would serve the NOL the best she could—

_You must_.

Tsubaki blanched at the voice, suppressing a chilled shiver. Just what _was _this? Either the onset of schizophrenia or something sentient; both possibilities terrified her to the core. …She had to keep her mind off of it for now and ask someone about it later. Maybe Kokonoe, although she had no idea if the scientist knew much about psychological issues. But no harm in asking, right?

…What were Jin and Noel doing now? It had been so long since she last saw them…since she had fought them. She shivered; at least she wouldn't be able to do that again, given her state. Or was that voice going to demand she kill them as well?

She shook her head, trying to clear away her concerns about the voice, trying to ignore her blindness. …How did Ragna feel about her? The thought came unbidden, but she couldn't shake it. It had blossomed on the edge of her mind when she had talked to him, and now demanded its attention. Just how attached to her had he become? Because it sure felt like the answer was "very". Her cheeks scorched over at the thought, and she swiveled around on the bed to put her feet on solid ground. The bare tile floor sent a shiver through her from its chill.

After taking a few moments to work up some sort of courage, Tsubaki rose, shaking. Her arms extended in either direction and her left hand found the wall, her guide out of the room. It took another collection of her wits, but she managed to force herself to take a step forward. And she stalled again, the fear of what might lie out of sight too great for the moment. She pondered what to do for several moments before resolving to find her way out of the room. Each step, short and low though it was, sent a pang of nervousness through her, uncertain of what may lay in wait below her bare feet.

And it only took a few steps before her arm ran into an obstruction, a pair of cool, hard bars that made it impossible for her to keep using the wall as a guide. A metal shelf or something? Whatever it was, she needed to find her way around it. Slowly, she edged her finger up and down the furthest bar until she found a shelf at gut level. Her finger traced along that, trying to find its end… "Ah!"

A sharp pain greeted her finger and Tsubaki pulled it back in instinct. Liquid tickled it, dripping from the digit, and she suckled it to the ferric taste of blood. And once more, she found herself at a loss. Fear clouded her mind—how on earth was she supposed to do this? How was she supposed to cope with this handicap, if just leaving a room was this difficult? …Like she would let something like this stop her. No, she could adapt to it; she wouldn't let this best her. She strode forward, hands outstretched like a mummy, groping for anything solid that may lie before her. And within moments, her hands met something. Firm, but not necessarily hard, buffered by a thin layer of some fabric, enticing to the touch… "You done feeling up my chest yet?"

"A-ah!" Tsubaki took a step back, stumbled and almost found herself flat on her back, if not for a hand gripping her wrist. Still, rather than allow herself to be pulled back up, she just slumped back to the ground, cheeks a bright red. That...that was…? "S-sorry, Ragna…I…"

"Don't worry, geez. It's fine." A gloved hand fell on her shoulder. "Was just checking on you. You sure you should be moving around like this?"

Tsubaki hung her head. "N-no. I know I shouldn't, but…"

…Shit. Ragna stared down at her pathetic form, a lump in his throat. He released her wrist and scooted over to sit beside her. He doubted she would come right out and say it, but it was clear she was scared. "Here, uh…want me to take you back to bed?"

"N-no. I can do this." Although shaking, Tsubaki pulled herself up to her feet. She _had_ to pull through this, so simple a task. At once, a hand clasped her shoulder, but she shook her head. "Please. I need to at least try on my own."

"…Alright." The hand left. "If you say so. First sign of trouble, though…"

"I understand." Shaking, Tsubaki started forward again, reaching out her hands to feel around for anything to guide her. It took all of her willpower to take a step forward when nothing greeted her outstretched fingers. Three steps later, and at last she found the doorway. She poked her head through and met an acrid stench that made her stomach turn. After lingering in the doorway for several moments, Tsubaki stepped back and sighed. No, she couldn't continue through like this. Whatever created that scent was too likely to be dangerous should she stumble into it. "I…um…"

Rough hands gripped Tsubaki's shoulders and she jumped. Ragna's voice tickled her ear a moment later, drawing a light flush. "Back to bed with you."

"Right…" With a sigh, Tsubaki allowed Ragna to guide her back to the bed and lay her down on the firm surface. She instantly curled up under the thin blanket, her mind seized by failure. Her hand gripped the fabric in sheer frustration. "Could you…um, please go get Kokonoe for me?" Like she had originally requested.

"Oh, right. Talked to her, she'll be down in a minute. Trying to find something or some shit." Ragna grimaced as he looked down at Tsubaki. He had to drag her mind away from her predicament; she couldn't be left to wallow in such misery. "So. Um…what kind of stuff do you like?"

For several long moments, Tsubaki didn't speak or move. Finally, she turned to the sound of his voice. "You mean, what do I enjoy that I can still partake in? Because the main one was reading."

…God dammit, he sucked at this. "…Sorry."

"It's fine. I'm sorry if I'm being short with you." Tsubaki shook her head; Ragna was just trying to help her. She couldn't take her frustrations out on him like this. "Well, um…I guess singing. And if I had a way to have my books read to me…"

At that, Ragna brightened up a bit. "Um…I could probably read stuff to you." Because hey, he wasn't completely illiterate, even if he never really saw the point of it all.

"Really?" A light smile worked its way onto Tsubaki's lips. "Um, thank you, Ragna. If you really wouldn't mind…" She trailed off.

"Huh?" Ragna cocked his head. For her moment of happiness to have passed so quickly unnerved him. "Something wrong, Tsubaki?"

"…Why are you being so nice to me? I mean…" Tsubaki sat up, although she hung her head. "I understand why you would be, considering our battle with Azrael. But…you're the Grim Reaper, and my loyalty…"

_Kill him now._

"…Is with the Librarium." Her gaze turned in his direction. "I appreciate everything you're doing, don't get me wrong. It's just…we're supposed to be enemies."

"Honestly, I was kinda ignoring that bit." As Tsubaki spoke, Ragna's head hung lower and lower. "Look, I…um. I just don't wanna leave you like this, especially after you saved my ass there. Hell, I'd be willing to take you with me, but…well, Librarium officer and all."

"You…you would?" And to her surprise, Tsubaki found herself considering the prospect, truly considering it. At least until she reminded herself that Ragna was, in fact, an incredibly dangerous, violent criminal. Obviously not something she should ever be involved with. But still… A full smile restored to her, she turned to Ragna. "Well, thank you very much, then. I'll keep it in mind." Because she doubted she could shake it off ever.

"Mm…" Ragna returned Tsubaki's smile on instinct, even though he knew she couldn't see it. Well, at least her misery had been broken, or at least tapered. "You need anything that doesn't involve turning myself in, just let me know."

Unable to hold back a light chuckle, Tsubaki shook her head. "Thank you, but I think I'm okay…" She trailed off as her mind at last went back to the cause of her blindness, the tool that had had stolen the light from her world, and very nearly her life. "…Actually, may I ask what has become of Izayoi?"

"Right." Ragna growled a bit at the thought of the weapon. Its blue eye stared out at him from the corner of the room, taunting him. With Tsubaki's permission, he would destroy it so it could claim no one else victim. "I was gonna destroy that piece of shit, but I thought I'd leave it up to you. Want me to blow it to hell?"

"If this was truly my decision to make, yes. I never want to hear its name again." Tsubaki sighed, unable to give Ragna the request to destroy it. "Unfortunately…it's my family's weapon. I can't, in good conscience, have you destroy something that technically belongs to my father like that."

Ragna glared at the weapon one more time. Oh well; first chance he got, that damn thing was gone. "Gotcha. I'll—"

"You know, for the Grim Reaper, you're damn attached to a Librarium officer. She just that cute?" Kokonoe stepped into the room, an arrogant smirk on her lips. "Anyways. Think I figured something out."

The words didn't register in Tsubaki's mind for several breaths. And then she sat up, staring at the source of the voice. "Wait, you _can_ heal me?"

"Heal? No. I've pulled some crazy shit with neuroscience, but there's no way I'm trying to fix destroyed brain tissue. However…" Kokonoe chuckled, clearly proud of herself. "Gimme a few days, and I think I can whip up some sort of Ars for you. Won't restore sight, per se, but you'd be able to kinda sense your surroundings. A bit of a substitution, assuming your Ars aptitude is high enough for it to actually be practical. Which I doubt; Noel's Ars aptitude is insane, and I doubt even she could keep it up for long."

"I…I see." Although it was a battle, Tsubaki managed to keep too much giddiness from leaking into her voice. Even with such limitations, even if it wasn't actually sight… Well, at least she wouldn't be completely useless to the NOL. "Thank you very much, professor."

"Hey, Kokonoe." Ragna reached out to lay a hand on Tsubaki's shoulder. "She good for heading out for a bit?"

Kokonoe's sharp glare turned on him. "And just where are you planning on taking her?"

"Dinner."

"…Eh. I guess. She's still not fully healed, so no going to screw in the bushes afterwards or anything, got it?" Ignoring their shared blushes, Kokonoe turned on her heel and headed back out of the room. "Well, me and Tager got shit to do. Enjoy your date."


	6. Return To Serenity

**A/N: Apologies for the lack of updates since June. My muse has been comatose these past couple months.**

**And prepare yourselves for fluffiness.**

* * *

Tsubaki gripped Ragna's hand tight as the two meandered through the streets. Every step was tentative and nervous, no matter how much she tried to force herself to trust his lead. It was all she could do to stay up with him, as nerves fought to keep her from moving at such a brisk pace. And this was after she had gotten him to cut his speed back once already. However, no harm had befallen her on their path, and he had always given ample warning whenever something would be in her way. With a deep breath, she shook her head.

"Something wrong?" Ragna's question tickled Tsubaki's ear and her cheeks shifted to a light pink, well aware of how they must have looked to any passersby. She could feel the tension in her comrade, the effort it took to walk so slowly. Part of her wanted to oblige, to stop being such a burden. But no, such an idea was idiocy. And besides…she couldn't help but admit it was actually pretty nice like this. "You're clawing through my glove, by the way."

"Ah! Sorry." Relinquishing her grip a bit, Tsubaki shook her head. "No, nothing's wrong."

"You sure?" Ragna released a sigh as Tsubaki drifted away a couple inches. Okay, so that was nice enough that he probably could have ignored the razors biting his skin. His arm twitched a little and started to rise, to encompass Tsubaki in a hug around the shoulders and keep her close—for her safety, of course. "Anyways, just a couple more minutes until we're there. Doing good?"

"Yes, I am. T…thank you very much for this." Tsubaki turned a bright smile up at him and, unable to contain herself, tightened her grip once more. "It really means a lot to me that you're doing this much."

"Heh. Ain't a problem." With a chuckle, he returned the grin as they approached the entrance to their restaurant of choice, a red wooden building of Oriental design. He gave her a light nudge. "Hey, watch your feet. Stairs."

"Ah…alright…" Tsubaki slowed down, nervousness dimming her joy. She inched forward until her foot bumped against the stair. Her foot lifted, pressing against the wood to trace its contour with her big toe until it cleared the top. She was just about to take her first step when something scooped her up and plodded forward. "Wha…hey!"

"Sorry, Tsu, but you'd take five minutes like that." Ragna smirked at the startled girl in his arms, somewhat anxious about how she'd react. As her arms came around his neck on instinct, he relaxed. Her face glowed red as she tucked herself against him, the heat of her breath blowing across his cheek. With a breath to settle his nerves, Ragna started forward again. A few seconds later, he came to the top of the stairs, and lowered her back to her feet. "Uh, sorry about that, but…"

"N-no, it's fine." Trembling, Tsubaki fumbled for his arm again to anchor herself. She gave it a light tug. "Let's…just get seated."

"Right, right." Ragna led her inside the restaurant, fingers fidgeting with the fabric of the inside of his pocket. Once inside, he glanced around quickly, hoping the burning of his cheek wasn't visible. Gah, what the hell was wrong with him? His eyes settled on a waitress standing before them, already holding a pair of menus, and he gave her a quick nod. "Hey. You got seats for two?"

"Of course," the woman responded, a thick Oriental accent to her voice. She strode forward without so much as a gesture for them to follow—Ragna had to wonder if she recognized him as a criminal somehow—and took them past booths to where a door waited. "You want to be separate from others?"

"Huh? Oh, uh…" Rubbing the back of his head, Ragna turned to Tsubaki. "You got a preference, Tsubaki?"

"Um…" Tsubaki hesitated a moment; the tension in Ragna's arm told her all she needed to know about how nervous he was at the moment. At the same time, the less people to see her inevitably drench herself after knocking over her own drink following a blind fumble, the better. "Sure. If that's fine with you, of course."

"Ain't got a problem with it." Ragna nodded to the waitress.

"Okay then." The waitress opened the door and led them inside. An ivory white table with cushioned, wooden chairs on either side and a metal candelabrum with three lit candles awaited them. "Go ahead and take seats. I return for orders shortly."

"O-okay. Thank you." Nervous, Tsubaki reached for...anything, really. Her trembling hand met empty air and, after swallowing, she took another step forward.

Ragna spared a moment to give the waitress a nod, and glared at the candles. He took the candelabrum and blew them out in short order. "Well, that was stupid." He looked over at Tsubaki, making sure his partner wasn't moving her hands anywhere dangerous. He definitely felt more...protective than usual.

"Huh?" Finding the back of her seat, Tsubaki edged around to the front of the chair and sat down. The smell of smoke reached her and she blinked. "Oh. Candles, I'll take it?" Her hand brushed along the top of the table and encountered the laminated paper of her menu.

Ragna grumbled to himself. "Yeah. Waitress couldn't see I was leading you around, I guess. Way I see it, that could get real messy real fast." With a grimace, Ragna looked down at Tsubaki's hand. "There's a knife about an inch away from your left arm. Lemme take it, alright?"

"Ah!" Tsubaki's arm instinctively pulled up to her chest. "Th-thank you."

Feeling her cheek burn a little, she looked down and sighed. "Um, Ragna? Could you please tell me what they serve here?"

Ragna gave a nod. A moment later, he felt like punching himself as he moved the knife away. God dammit, why was he having so much trouble remembering that the girl was blind? "You got it. Chinese food. Heard they cook a pretty nice duck, but I'm sure you know what you'd want."

He laughed a bit. "I'm just glad I don't have to order one of everything off the menu for a change. It's...pretty nice."

Tsubaki returned his chuckle. "A friend of yours do that or something?"

Ragna gave a grumble of assent. "Couple of 'em. Can't really call one of them my friend, either. Just an annoying mooch."

"Ah, I…see." Maybe she could ask more about it later, but right now, something much more important was at hand. She paused a moment to think. "Do they have orange chicken here?"

At Tsubaki's question, Ragna opened the menu and scanned it. "Hmm...yeah, they got it. That what you want?"

"Yes, please." She looked up with a broad smile. "And don't worry; I promise I won't empty your wallet here."

"Alright." Well, at least he was getting used to not using visual gestures around her. At her concession, Ragna gave a chuckle. "And Tsubaki, if I wanted to save money, I wouldn't be taking you out. Get whatever the heck you want."

His wallet cried out at him, but he ignored it. That smile alone was worth getting over a little penny pinching.

"Ah... Um, thank you very much." Tsubaki gave a brief bow of her head. When she looked back up, her smile had only widened, while her blush had grown. "Um, may I ask what there is to drink here?"

Between Tsubaki's widened smile and her blush, Ragna felt his own cheeks start to burn. "It's...not a problem." He glanced away, trying to stop the fuzzy feeling he had in his gut. "Let's see here..."

Grateful for any sort of distraction, he set to scanning the menu once more. "Green tea, chamomile tea, jasmine tea...god damn they got a lot of different teas. There something you like? I can't tell the difference between all this hot leaf juice."

Tsubaki broke into light laughter and turned a full-on grin at him. "I'll just have the jasmine tea, thank you." She fell silent, but inside she worked to find something to say, something to idly chat with Ragna about.

Ragna grinned up at her, daring to look into her brilliant eyes again. "Might as well share a pot, I guess. Sure as hell ain't anything I'm interested in."

After several moments of nervous silence, Ragna racked his head for something that could be a decent icebreaker. Jubei had never exactly been helpful on the subject, and he couldn't exactly talk about work...or could he? "So...alright if you tell me a bit about what you do? Don't really see Library people risking their asses for the people often."

"Oh, um..." Tsubaki looked down, avoiding eye contact out of pure nervousness even if she couldn't see. "I...at least for the moment am part of the Wings of Justice. Most of my duty ends up being to patrol wherever I'm stationed and keep the peace. However, our primary role is...well, seeking out specific targets. Traitors to the NOL and the like."

Ragna nodded to himself, considering her words. He didn't know all that much about the Wings; they had always struck him as something phantasmal, appearing without warning, doling out their judgment, and vanishing just as suddenly. Ruthless, heartless killers. Which sure as hell didn't mesh with what he'd seen or heard from Tsubaki. "And you just happened to be on patrol then?" He grinned at her, before remembering that it was useless. "Well...gotta say, I like the sound of that. Wish you weren't attached to the Library at all, but a guy can't have everything."

Tsubaki giggled a little, her blush returning. "Well, actually, at the time I was on my break. Until Azrael decided to use me as a weapon."

Ragna winced at the memory; the thought of being of her being used in such a way ignited a protective spark in him. "Right…"

With a sigh, Tsubaki closed her eyes. And her she was, back at the core of her dilemma. "...Of course, I doubt I'll be retaining my position now. There is no use in the Librarium for a soldier—no, an assassin who can't see her target. But I'm sure they could find something for me to do. With how many positions are available within the NOL, I can't see myself being left jobless."

The disappointment in Tsubaki's voice almost made Ragna recoil. He ground his teeth at the thought of the Library turning their backs on Tsubaki, after all she had done. "They damn well better. If the Library is stupid enough to let someone like you get out of their hands after the shit you pulled, they never deserved you in the first place." A light smirk came to him. "Well...I wouldn't mind much, but I figure you wouldn't be happy with it."

"Mm..." Tsubaki blushed a little. For Ragna to be that concerned for her… Still, she managed to peek up and smile in his direction. Of course he wouldn't mind too much if she had to turn somewhere besides the Librarium; he wanted her to join him, didn't he? And maybe, if she was left with nothing else… No, she couldn't. Not when he was hell bent on the Librarium's destruction.

Tsubaki's short answer left Ragna's throat dry. He'd let a lot of himself hang out there, and her being noncommittal made him nervous. Did she appreciate it? Dislike him for it? The smile helped, but damn it, he wanted to be sure. Before he could say anything, the door opened and the waitress returned. "You order now?"

The waitress arriving was marvelous in breaking him out of that deadlock. "Uh, sure. One orange chicken, one roast duck, and a pot of Jasmine tea to share. That sound right, Tsu?"

"Yes, that's right." Tsubaki kept her sightless stare on Ragna, trying not to betray her handicap to the waitress out of embarrassment.

The waitress jotted down the orders, drew and lit a match, and swiped it over the candelabrum, lighting the three candles in one motion. "Okay, I be back soon."

"...She's really asking me not to give her a tip, isn't she?" Ragna scowled once the waitress was out of earshot, and blew out the candles one more time. Upon looking back over at Tsubaki, he sighed at her attempt to stare back at him. "If you're trying to hide it, you'll probably want to look a bit higher up. Looks like you're checking out my chest."

"A-ah!" Blushing, Tsubaki forced a chuckle and did as he suggested, alarmed by how fast her mind traveled back to her accidental feel of his chest. "R-right, thanks. Um..."

After a moment of consideration, she decided to go ahead and ask a question lingering in her mind. "May I ask what you, um...do?"

Ragna grumbled a bit as she overshot his eyes by a hair. When he actually bothered to straighten up in his chair, though, it was just about right. "I…think you know pretty damn well what I do. Wanted posters are there for a reason."

"Yes, I...realize that much. But, um, you have to do something else at times, right? Like, you get money somehow..."

Ragna shrugged. "Odd jobs outside of the Hierarchical Cities, mostly. Farming shit for the most part. Just take whatever I can get when traveling, and a worker who shrugs off seithr's always good for the people out there."

"Oh, I see." She cocked her head. "Um...you mean to say that seithr doesn't affect you much?"

Ragna clapped his hand against the metal piece on his artificial arm. "Azure Grimoire. Acts like a lightning rod for the stuff, makes it so I can just walk through it like it's not there."

And now, time to change subject, because no way in hell was carrying on about his damned grimoire. "Don't suppose you've seen much of the world outside the Cities, have you? Yayoi and all?"

"Only from airships, unfortunately. And a bit while I was at the Academy, although I refused to go too far. I...was really sheltered growing up." Her eyes shined with curiosity as she tried to meet Ragna's gaze. "What's it like out there?"

"Well…shitty. Seithr mutates most animals and plants, twists the landscape and kills whatever it can't fuck up." His voice softened as the edge in his eyes vanished. "But when the seithr's light, it's beautiful. Kinda makes you envy those people who got to see what it was like before the Black Beast."

Rubbing the back of his head, Ragna trailed off. "I'm...probably coming off pretty stupid. Envying some assholes busy ten feet under..."

"No, you're not. At all." Tsubaki heaved a sigh, although her eyes all but glittered. "I wish I could have seen such a world. That we didn't have to be confined to the Hierarchical Cities."

Ragna smiled, glad that he wasn't coming off as stupid as he thought he was. "Thanks, Tsu." After thinking on it a moment, he grinned. "You know, if you're curious, and have the time...Wanna go to one of those places? Grew up in one of them."

"Oh!" Tsubaki brightened up, hands clasping together. "Yes, I-I'd love that. If…if it's not too much trouble, of course."

At her radiant smile, Ragna glanced away to kill his nerves. "Course it ain't a problem. Wouldn't offer if it was."

"A-alright, then. So, after dinner here?" She frowned and looked down. "But…how close is it?"

"Eh, don't worry about that. I know a…um, person…thing that could get us there. And unless you've got anything you gotta do after this, we can right after dinner."

…Person _thing_? What on earth was he talking about? Setting the question aside, Tsubaki shook her head. "Yes, I could leave right away. Thank you very much." And if she could see and was in a position where it would be appropriate, she would lunge in to hug him tight.

"Ain't a problem, Tsu. Right after this, we'll head there."

Awkward silence fell as neither could think of anything further to discuss. A few minutes in, Tsubaki gave a light sigh as her wandering mind fell upon an old friend. She blinked, confusion welling up inside her. What should she do now? Her affection for Ragna was now rivaling what she had spent years building up for Jin. She could tell Ragna cared for her in his own way, more deeply than he should have at this stage. But what about Jin? She sighed again.

"You okay?"

"Huh?" Her head shot up at Ragna's voice and she nodded. "Y-yes, I am. Sorry about that. I was just thinking."

"Mm…" Ragna scowled. Whatever was on her mind seemed to be unpleasant. Well then. Time to get her mind off of whatever it was. "So, uh…what was the Academy like?" Lame question, but hey, it was all he could brain up, dammit.

"Well, um…" Tsubaki thought for a moment. "Um, anything in particular you want to know?"

"How was it for you?"

"Like I said, I was rather sheltered growing up, and the Academy was pretty much my first break from that. I was initially…shocked by how ugly it could be."

"Lemme guess. Figured out that people could be complete bastards?"

"Yes. In particular, I met one of my closest friends, a beastkin from a poor family, by having to defend her from against nobles tormenting her for her social status. It was something I crusaded against my entire stay there. Still…" She smiled, eyes closed in reminiscence. "Besides that, it was mostly wonderful. I made a lot of good friends…" Two of whom she was now supposed to kill. But if there was any consolation to her new handicap, there was no way she could be expected to carry out those orders.

"Well, that's good at least. How'd you do at the Academy?"

"Top of my class."

"…Damn." Ragna's smile widened in admiration, and he knew it probably looked quite stupid on him. Oh well. "So, uh, what made you decide to join the Wings of Justice, anyways?"

"Oh, um…" Tsubaki looked away from him, cheeks pink. "Originally, I was hoping to work under one of my friends as his secretary, at least to start. That…fell through, though, and so I decided to go with what I thought what help me uphold justice the best. Dealing with major enemies of the Librarium struck me as the best option in that regard."

"Mm, gotcha. You're really into this justice thing, aren't you?" Leaning forward a bit, Ragna grinned. "Why's that, anyways?"

"Well, um…it's kind of embarrassing to say, but…" Tsubaki giggled with a light blush. "It's… I really admire the Six Heroes for what they did. For how courageous they were. I've wanted to emulate them my whole life."

"The Six Heroes, huh? Yeah, I getcha." And if they got the chance, he would certainly introduce her to at least one of them. "You ever met any of 'em?"

"Y-yes. Back when I was stationed in Kagutsuchi, I had the fortune of encountering Hakumen." Tsubaki give a blissful sigh, eyes downward and a serene smile on her lips. "He was…amazingly nice. Very caring toward me. I…was surprised, really."

"You're telling me." Hakumen? Nice to anybody? Was it actually him that she had met?

"Huh? You've met him?"

"Yeah. He wants me dead. Dunno what his deal is."

"I…I see." Tsubaki's face went pale. "Um…sorry for bringing him up, then…"

"Nah, it's fine. I asked, anyways."

Behind Tsubaki, the door opened and the waitress stepped back in, holding a tray with two plates, two teacups and a steaming teapot. She set down the plates before their respective recipients—orange-glazed chicken bites and steaming vegetables for Tsubaki, a roasted duck for Ragna—and placed the tea between them. "Enjoy."

"Thank you very much." As soon as the waitress left, Tsubaki blinked. "Um…Ragna? How am I supposed to…?"

"…Uh. Shit." Ragna, fork in hand and ready to dig into his meal, paused to think. And came up with only a single solution, which left his face burning. "Here, just a sec. I'll help you here."

"O...okay." Tsubaki shared his blush, knowing exactly what he meant by that. It left her utterly embarrassed, but if there was no other way…

Ragna slid his chair around to the other side of the table, sitting directly to her left and bringing his meal along with him. He poured a cup of tea and shifted it over until its handle bumped Tsubaki's fingers. The girl took the cup, and Ragna laid a hand on her shoulder. The shock of contact drew a flinch from Tsubaki, and Ragna gave it a light squeeze of reassurance. "Right. Take it slow; shit's hot. Don't want you to spill it on yourself. And, uh, try to keep a grip on it here."

"Right…right…" Slowly, with a trembling hand, Tsubaki brought the cup up until it brushed her lips. She took a sip, letting the hot liquid calm her down. As she did so, Ragna speared a piece of chicken on a fork, and nudged the corner of her mouth with it. "Huh?" Her tongue flicked out and licked to the taste of the orange syrup. She turned and took it into her mouth. After swallowing, she gave Ragna a bashful smile. "Um…thank you very much for doing this."

"Ain't a problem, Tsu." Focused on fixing up another bite for her, Ragna didn't notice her smile for a few moments. When he turned and looked her in the eyes, however, attraction struck him and sucked out his wind. God damn, was this girl beautiful. Numb, he brought up the fork, carrying both vegetables and chicken. "Um…"

Tsubaki opened her mouth wide, knowing what he was trying to say. After Ragna drifted the fork inside, she bit down, ate the small bite, gave him a quick smile, and took another tentative sip of her tea. Rather than work on preparing another bite for her, Ragna just watched Tsubaki for a few moments, spellbound. With a shake of his head, he set about making another bite.

His own dinner could wait until Tsubaki was satisfied.

* * *

"Thank you very much, Ragna." Tsubaki beamed in his direction, hand locked in his. So he could lead her around, of course. "And, um…sorry I was such a burden there."

"Nah, it's nothing. Don't worry about it, Tsu." Again fidgeting with the insides of his pocket, Ragna couldn't help but smile down at her. "Oh, uh, you got a little something here."

"Huh?" Tsubaki tensed up as his finger brushed the corner of her mouth, wiping away a bit of glaze. Her cheeks burned red once more. "Oh. Um…thanks, again."

Ragna chuckled, giving her hand a squeeze. "You don't gotta thank me for everything, you know. Oh, right. We got some stairs down here. Feel comfortable walking down them, or…?"

"Ah…r-right." Tsubaki's lips twisted into a grimace as she pondered. She turned to Ragna. "Could you, um, carry me down?"

"Sure thing."

With that, Ragna scooped her up in his arms. With a deep breath to calm his haywire nerves, he started down the stairs. No sooner had he reached the bottom than a voice called out for him. The loathsome voice of a girl he knew all too well, reeking of nobility and superiority. "Oh, my. The Grim Reaper, carrying an enemy soldier in his arms? This is truly a surreal sight."

And no matter how much that damned squeak annoyed him, Ragna couldn't help but grin. Perfect. "Hey there, bunny-leech. Was hoping I'd run into you."

* * *

**A/N: And now, a quick update on the state of my fics.**

**At Fate's Hands: I was really hoping to be getting close to done with these chapters by now, but I'm nowhere near that. This is pretty much my top priority now.**

**Mega Lambda and A Pleasant Shade of Grey: Neither of these are dead. I have Mega Lambda 4 planned out, but am having some difficulty coming up with what to do with APSOG 4. Both are second priority to AFH.**

**Confinement: Next chapter's about half done. It'll get done shortly in all likelihood.**

**The rest: have updated recently enough to be low priority, although I'm gravitating pretty strongly to this story.**

**Finally, I have a couple other ideas on my mind. One is just a short, silly Ragna/Tsubaki oneshot. The other is…somewhat darker, although it's just a general concept right now.**


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